SummerWinds Nursery opened their tree lot this weekend, setting up temporary quarters in the parking lot. The building, destroyed by fire last summer, is gone, but the spirit of the nursery lives on. While SummerWinds awaits rebuilding permits, they’ve set up a well-stocked shop filled with holiday greenery and a lot of red. The displays were so alluring that I briefly considered the Noah’s Ark approach to gardening: two of each! I restrained myself (sort of) and limited my purchases to a few plants and some holiday greens.
Here’s what came home:
Shooting Star™ Hydrangea (from hana bay flowers)
This plant is stunning. It’s one of the Lace Cap varieties, with large clusters of star-like flowers toward the outer branches, with smaller white flowers below. We’ll keep it indoors for the winter, then will plant it in the garden next spring.
Shooting Star Hydrangea
Zygocactus (Schlumbergera truncata)
We have two fuchsia Zygocactus living the good life in our kitchen bay window. They’re super easy to grow. They usually bloom around Christmas, hence the nickname “Christmas Cactus.” Interestingly, ours bloom twice a year. My husband spotted the light pink variety at SummerWinds, so into our arms it went. Things look better grouped in threes anyway, don’t you think? It’s bursting with blooms, a bit ahead of the two on the sill, but I know they will catch up soon.
Zygocactus in Bloom
Miniature Cyclamens
Oh my goodness, these tiny plants are the cutest. Each one weighs a mere two ounces, standing no taller than a seed packet. I bought a pair for the Fairy Garden. Watch for their debut later this week.
Evergreen Door Charm
A lovely bunch of greens and a pine cone or three greet our guests.
Mistletoe
An excuse to smooch.
If you live in the area, be sure to drop in. You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a peak:
Gardening Nirvana 
I am in love with Shooting Star, what a perfect name for it too…stunning perfection. It reminds me a little of Jasmine which I love so much (not hardy here). I know a home in Coronado, they have a jungle of it on their porch…..I could stand there all day. I’m really looking forward to our little trip, only 10 days to flip-flops. Oh man, you California girls are sooooo lucky! What a gorgeous entry you have, great door and your wreath turned out cute too….bing-bong Christmas calling.
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I agree with you, Shooting Star is the perfect name. It’s such a gorgeous plant. I hope it does as well in the garden. It said to prune in the fall and cover the stalks with a blanket so this time next year will be the true test. In the meantime, I’m loving it in my kitchen.
I’m so excited about your trip. You are going to have fun, fun, fun!!!
We have Star Jasmine in our side yard, and I’m with you: the smell is intoxicating. It lasts a few weeks every spring.
As for the door wreath, I get no credit. It came that way. I was tempted to spruce it up after seeing your fab front door, but I decided to play in the fairy garden instead. I can’t top your wreath perfection. It’s lovely
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Good luck with Shooting Star, it’d be well worth the effort. Silly me, I didn’t realize Star Jasmine is a spring thing. Darn I guess we’ll miss it. I just love walking around the neighbourhoods there on the island. The cutest gardens and houses. It’s like stepping back to the 1940’s.
After all that prep on my baskets, we’ve had to move them into our little garage for a week while the roofing goofs finish here….They didn’t come when the said, three days later they got back to it…urrg. I think they are done at this end…fingers crossed. Thanks for the nice compliment. Natural greens don’t always need much to be impressive, you’ve got the beautiful landscaping to enhance your entrance too. 🙂
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Aww, thanks for saying so. What a bummer about the roofing project dragging on. Are they delayed due to the snow? Or just the usual hurry up and wait of the typical construction project.
I must say, things here moved along swimmingly. They pulled out the wall to wall carpet in all three bedrooms, then installed cork flooring, returned the show moulding in perfect condition, all in two days! We were impressed. Hurray…no more scrubbing cat gack out of the carpet. Our house is now tile, bamboo or cork with just a few scatter rugs.
I love the look of 1940s homes. I can picture the charm. You’re going to have such a nice time.
I hope your baskets are back out front soon. What a lot of work to move the larger one to the garage. Don’t hurt your back!
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Wow, they got done fast. Right on, keep those contractors on speed dial. I think our guys are broken.
When you show up at the crack of 10 and it’s dark at 4:30pm, the day is pretty short..HA. OH and they break for lunch.
We’re going to pop the planters back out tomorrow before we go to the concert. They aren’t too heavy really because the bottom 1/2 of the tall one is cedar flakes (used in Guinea Pig cages). Thanks for looking out for us though xoK
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Cedar flakes! Brilliant idea. Does it stay light and fluffy when you water the plants? Oh man I love the smell of cedar.
Wow, 10 – 4! It’s hard to get much done in five hours. The man who laid our floors was amazing. He showed up 15 minutes early both days, then came to the door right at 8:00. He worked till 4:00 with a lunch. He was skilled and efficient. Which reminds me, I need to write a review for Yelp!
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Oh Yelp, good idea. I’ve checked there myself for different things. That’s so nice of you, he’d really appreciate it. It’s good to know there are still many with a good work ethic and skill out there. Bravo.
Now, how can you work your new floors into a post?
The Cedar flakes really never get too wet because the pots so tall. I only water them once, then they freeze outside…pretty fast really. I attempted to move an ornament and it was frozen solid in a couple of hours, so no do overs, HA
I like the smell of cedar too. But weird, I’ve always liked the smell of mothballs too and toss them into closets…o oh, I’ve said too much 😀
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You’ve said too much!!! LOL.
Here’s an odd confession: I like the smell of gasoline. Crazy, I know.
Cedar is much better for me, though. Wow, frozen solid. I’ve forgotten about that sort of thing since it’s been so long living in the cold.
We have painters here today, equally wonderful. The husband of a colleague of mine. Nice. Professional. Punctual. Good work. Hurray, hurray.
Hmmmm…cork floor post…hmmmm…
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Wow, you will never want to leave home. That’s going to be so fresh and beautiful. Are you having Christmas at your house?
PS…The smell of Gasoline? Hehe, we’re as nutty as your squirrels. 😉
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I’m such a mix of things: I love travel and I love home.
Our Christmas is small and quiet. Mom used to join us Christmas day, but she passed in 2008. Both of Mike’s parents died that year as well. So, just the four of us, and hopefully friends stopping by.
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Your christmas sounds intimate and special, I like that. Oh boy, 2008 was like one big heartache, that must have been really hard, I’m sorry to hear that. Jim and I usually enjoy the Day at home too. Boxing day might get out and about, but I like the lazy Christmas day…PJ’s till 9:30 or 10:00, nice breakfast, maybe a TCM movie or a skate if it’s nice out. I like to just putz along and cook a nice supper. We usually get out the scrabble board, we’re pretty even on it and it’s a good battle. Sometimes ‘no scheduled plans’ are best.
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I love the way you spend your day too. It sounds lovely. No plans, no schedules, but lots of fun together. I love it. I can see that in my future as our boys are grown and want to spend time with their family (sniffle, sniffle). I’m enjoying it all while I can, still glad they have fun decorating the tree.
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No tears Alys, they’ll still come home, there’ll just be more of them….little Milner’s will take over your Christmas celebrations before you know it….maybe this is the time to relax LOL
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My advice to my sons is this: go to college, travel, date (and have your heart broken a few times) and when you turn 30, think about marrying. Some people get lucky and find a soul mate at the age of 20. But I know personally that I learned so much more about myself (through some, at times difficult trial and error), and picked a great partner later in life.
That said, they’ll do what they want anyway. Life’s a journey.
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You’re wise and that’s good advise. As you know I married twice. I wasn’t really young the first time either, I was 28 but I wish I had done some traveling or school instead of buying a house with a boyfriend. Once you have commitments that sure limits your choices. When marriage works, it’s a wonderful way to spend a life. Together with, like you said, a great partner.
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Beautifully said. I made some poor choices in my youth as well. When I finally met M. I sure appreciated all he had to offer, and recognized my own value as well. It sounds like you’ve done the same.
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I’ve had a much different life than many of my girlfriends, while they were raising babies, I was working…now they’re working and I’m not. If you told me in 1991 that it would all be ok, I couldn’t imagine. Fate is a funny thing. 😀 Lucky us!
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Lucky us, indeed. And I know what you mean. If I had know M. was in my future, I would have stayed home a lot more with a good book! Then again, experience teaches us many things. Glad to be “here” now.
I too had many friends having babies while I worked. I had my boys at 37 and 40.
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I can’t even imagine how many fella’s are out there wishing they ‘were the one’. Good things are worth waiting for. Can you imagine having babies at 18 or 20 (like some of my gf’s)? You were brave to dive in when you did, most people are reluctant to change their routine after a while. I think that may be becoming more of the norm, lots of young women are waiting till it’s right for them.
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Even at a young age, I had a sense of the responsibility that came with kids. I’m also old fashioned and wanted a family, not single motherhood. It’s hard enough with a partner in the early years. As an older mom I was more patient, more settled, and ready emotionally to take on the challenges. I wish everyone would wait a few years. 18 to 20 is so darn young.
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You are very wise. I don’t know if I’m more patient now, but I do know Mary Poppin’s got me thru Christmas line ups today, thank you Apple! My Ipod saved the day.
Hey, if you ever tire of organizing peoples stuff, you can help organize their lives. Like a ‘Life Coach’ course.
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Many of my colleagues do just that: specialize in organizing people’s lives. I love any and all aspects of organizing. I never tire of it. Lucky me!
Hurray for Apple and Mary P. Waiting in line is easier when you have music for company.
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I love the holiday wreath. It reminds me of our childhood. I remembers us hanging a wreath on our front door. It must have been a long time ago. Maybe I’m mistaken. My memory doesn’t serve me too well ;0)
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I remember that, too! We always had such fun decorating, didn’t we?
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The hydrangea is SO beautiful 🙂 And all of those Poinsettias just shout Christmas!!
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Thank you, PJ. I’m in love with that hydrangea. It’s so white it’s reflective. An amazing specimen.
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